10 years on since the first Sonic Yootha, and the club night shows no sign of slowing down
John Aggy and Shaun Duggan celebrating 10 years of Sonic Yootha, at 24 Kitchen Street.(Image: Andrew Teebay)
“A lot of work goes into them each and every time. We’ve had murder in our group chat and not spoken for days over the slightest details on them.” This is what Shaun Duggan had to say when talking about one of the many iconic posters he has plastered “anywhere he could” around Liverpool.
Chances are you’ve spotted one of these eccentric posters and fired them in your group chat. Whether it’s a “scally” version of Sound of Music’s Maria heading to Halewood for Halloween or the iconic lesbian kiss from Brookside that saw Beth Jordache clench Margaret Clemence into her arms, they are hard to miss. That is for the limited time they remain in place, before they are often collected as souvenirs.
Peel back the outrageous reimaginings on the poster, and you’ll find they all serve one purpose – to promote Sonic Yootha. The unique disco extends a warm hand to all from “homos, heteros, drag shows, and don’t knows,” and now, celebrating a milestone year, it’s safe to say it has carved out its place as a monthly fixture in many diaries.
The club night was born 10 years ago from the minds of Shaun, Ian Usher, and John Aggy – a trio from the “rough ends” of North Liverpool who were searching for a place to belong. Years on, thousands have journeyed to the Baltic Triangle just to say they’ve danced under the unique sparkle of Yootha’s disco ball.
Sonic Yootha at Kitchen Street, described as ‘A dislocated disco for homos, fauxmos, gender-blenders & part-time Brendas'(Image: Sonic Yootha)
With this legacy in hand, the ECHO caught up with the founders to unearth what gives Yootha its edge over the competition. John, a 59-year-old civil servant living in Toxteth, told the ECHO: “We weren’t getting any younger, and so we wanted to do something sooner rather than later.
“The time we grew up in, going out was huge. It seems impossible to imagine it in today’s day and age, but there was no internet, no mobiles; there was literally nothing.
“You had to go and find these places, and you couldn’t find these places unless you were shown them. We had these experiences of going out and having a vital importance in connections. We got to the point where we looked around, and what was on offer wasn’t doing anything for us.
“Places were becoming safe and generic with the commercialisation of clubs. There was this lifestyle to buy into, but it was a lifestyle that wasn’t for us. It wasn’t speaking to us, so we started our own lifestyle.”
Sonic Yootha ‘Panic!’ party in Kitchen Street(Image: Shaun Duggan/Sonic Yootha)
Fast-forward to today, and Sonic Yootha, is held 10 times a year at 24 Kitchen Street. However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Before settling in its current location, it experienced an unsuccessful run just a short walk away at Camp and Furnace. The choice to hold the LGBTQ+ night outside of Liverpool’s Pride Quarter was deliberate.
Scriptwriter Shaun, who now lives in Aigburth, said: “It was only our friends and family who turned up to Camp and Furnace, and we were away at the back of the venue, so it didn’t really take off. But Ian was walking past Kitchen Street when the owner was outside; the two got chatting, and he explained we just got kicked out of the original venue.
“Ian saw Yootha going somewhere and fell in love with the place, but Kitchen Street was fully booked up. It was just by luck that as they were talking, a cancellation happened there and then, and we got offered the following Friday as our first night. When we walked in for the first time, it just felt different. I remember thinking, ‘This is it; this is us’.
“It was a risk not knowing if anyone would deter from the gay scene to come to us, but they did. I think what really helped was the posters. They were clear in their message and distinct. We walked the streets, sticking them up anywhere we could.”
John Aggy and Shaun Duggan celebrating 10 years of Sonic Yootha at 24 Kitchen Street.(Image: Andrew Teebay)
On any given evening, those who fork out the £10 entry fee are treated to a diverse blend of Kylie, The Pet Shop Boys, Patti Smith and even, occasionally, the theme tunes to soap operas. Tracy Wilder typically takes charge of the decks, while Jackie J, a customer-turned-performer, ensures the cult following is up and dancing.
The former John Moores University student said that, for them, Yootha feels like a “gay Disneyland” that is now part of their DNA. The fashion communication graduate previously told the ECHO : “It is a queer family and the place I call my spiritual home.
“It’s a place to be unapologetic, express yourself, dance, and be anything you want to be, exploring your highest self, a place I feel part of a home once a month. Not one of those dysfunctional ones you get brought up with, but a functional one that you choose and chooses you for being you. Yootha isn’t just a place; it’s an identity, a family, and a movement. No judgement, no ego, just love—it’s truly everything.”
Sonic Yootha will be hosting its 10th birthday celebrations this weekend on Saturday, June 28, with the theme Getting Away With It. Ian shared a disbelief when speaking to the ECHO that the club night would still be happening.
He said: “There’s nothing else like it in the city. If you had told us so many people would have come through those doors, we wouldn’t have believed you.
“There are people there who are now coming with their children; there are dads with their gay sons, and there are couples in their 60s partying with teenagers they only just met. It’s a wild concept, but it’s clearly a concept people love and want.”